The annual Pig in the Park Barbecue Festival and Cookoff will return to Williamston’s Mineral Spring Park May 15 and 16. Friday hours will be 12 – 9 pm. Saturday hours will be 10:30 am to 3 pm.
The event features a weekend of championship cooking along with barbecue, food sales, vendor market and other activities.
There will be live music beginning at 5 pm Friday with Greenville based band Rhythm Jab.
Cook teams will compete for the Championship with judging on Saturday.
The Williamston Masonic Lodge will be selling whole, already cooked and pulled Boston Butts. Preorder by message on the Pig in the Park social media page. The Masonic Lodge will also sell tickets to the public for barbecue samples beginning at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Tickets are $15 which includes 10 tickets, drink and a taster’s choice ticket. Additional tickets for barbecue samples are available for $2, additional drinks will be $2.
Some Cook-off teams may sell portions of grilled or BBQ items other than Boston Butts on the day of the competition.
Twelve Barbecue cooking teams are competing this year. Teams are limited to four members.
Competitors include: Swig N Pig – Andrew & Vee Vee Massey; Backwoods BBQ – Gene Culbertson; S&M BBQ – John Stone; Mill Hill BBQ – Jordan Gambrell; Cannonfire BBQ – Brandon Cannon; Brady Q – Corey Brady; Allwood Smokers – Ronny Murphy; Men At Work – Brian Roach; Butt Wrestling – Matt Franklin; Bold Branch Boys – Joe Hilliard; Ole Sweet Madeline BBQ – DeAdrian Hargrove and Smoke Till Your’re Broke – Rusty Waters.
Experienced, trained, and certified SCBA Judges will handle judging of the Boston Butt pork in this contest. There is a $3,000 cash purse as follows: 1st place $1,500; 2nd place $1,000; 3rd place $500. Trophies will be given to 1st thru 3rd place. First-place winner will also have free entry for the following year.
The event is sanctioned and judged by the South Carolina BBQ Association and rules and regulations for the organization will be followed. Marshals and Judges will be on site during the event. Judging will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday. Awards will be presented at 2:30 PM.
Proceeds from the event will go to: Free Camp, Palmetto AFJROTC, Operation Care and Christian Learning Center
Pig in the Park will also include craft and retail vendors for the festival market. The event is organized by the Williamston Masonic Lodge.
